Feeding of laundry flatwork



A ril 25, 1%? E. TAYLOR 3,315,385

FEEDING OF LAUNDRY FLATWORK Filed Nov. 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aftornefi April 25, 1967 E. TAYLOR FEEDING OF LAUNDRY FLATWORK 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1964 United States Patent 3,315,385FEEDING 0F LAUNDRY FLATWORK Ernest Taylor, Nottingham, England, assignorto Manlove, Alliott, & Co. Limited, Nottingham, England Filed Nov. 25,1964, Ser. No. 413,696 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Nov.26, 1963, 46,708/ 63 3 Claims. (Cl. 38-143) This invention is concernedwith the feeding of laundry flatwork, and more specifically with thestraightening and removal of creases from individual pieces of work,such as sheets and tablecloths, in readiness for ironing.

In modern laundry practice, sheets and similar fiatwork pieces are fedin succession, after laundering and while still damp, into a rotaryironing machine which operates at high speed. For good results it isimportant that each piece should be straightened and freed from folds orcreases as it enters the ironer and it has in the past been a problemfor the laundry operatives to perform this work fast enough to keep theironing machine supplied to capacity.

Recently equipment has been devised that relieves the operatives of mostof the work of hand-smoothing of the pieces, in that each sheet or thelike is introduced into a shaft where it is drawn out straight by airsuction. While this equipment work well, it is an object of thisinvention to provide an arrangement whereby equally good, or better,results are obtained, also with the use of air but with a considerablysimplified system.

According to the present invention, there is provided a laundry flatworkstraightening device, comprising means subjecting the trailing portionof each sheet, or like flatwork piece, to the action of an unconfinedstream of air While said trailing portion is travelling past a plainsurface, the air stream being strong enough to create a turbulentcondition of the material of said trailing portion and being generallyin a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the sheet at thetime.

By unconfined is meant that the stream of air is not ducted in any wayat the region where the straightening is taking place, although it maybe contained to some extent by the plain surface and the sheet itself.Preferably, the air stream is directed substantially parallel to theplain surface between said surface and the sheet.

It has been discovered that such an arrangement effectively smooths thework, the shaft which was previously thought essential to contain thesheet being unnecessary.

While the obvious arrangement of the plain surface is horizontal, itwill generally be found that a vertical surface is a better propositionin that it takes up far less floor space and gives operatives easieraccess.

It is to be noted that, to achieve beneficial results, it is notessential that the plain surface be continuous; it could be in sectionsor strips, with spaces between if desired, and a straightening effect isstill obtained, although a continuous plain surface is preferred.

One way of carrying the invention into practice Will now be described byway of example, reference being had to the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a laundry fiatworkstraightening device in accordance with the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a further elevation seen in the direction of the arrow 2 inFIGURE 1.

The apparatus shown is intended to be associated with other equipmentfor feeding flatwork into a laundry ironing machine, for example in themanner described in patent application Ser. No. 331,695 filed Dec. 19,1963 for Feeding Device for Ironing Machines, now Patent No. 3,231,267.It acts on sheets or the like as they are delivered in succession to alaundry conveyor or feeder, which may be of conventional riband form, asindicated at 10. The arrangement comprises a vertical metal plate 11that has across its upper end a horizontal row of louvres 12 to whichair under pressure is supplied from a horizontal air box 13, the louvresbeing shaped to direct the air down the plate surface substantiallyparallel to it. The air is delivered to the air box 13 by a motor-drivenblower or fan 14 through a' trunk 15. The vertical plate 11 is supportedfrom the floor on bent metal support legs 16.

In operation, the leading portion of each sheet is deposited, by laundryoperatives on a further conveyor (not shown) across the receiving end ofthe riband conveyor 10 and the remainder of the sheet is allowed to dropacross a short sloping upper margin 17 of the plate 11, above thelouvres 12 and forming one side of the air box 13, and thence down theface of the plate 11. The air stream being delivered downwardly parallelto the surface of the plate 11 through the louvres 12 catches the dampsheet and draws it down straight, removing folds and creases andgenerally smoothing it into a state of preparedness for ironing. Thesheet is fed forward to the ironer by the conveyor 10 so that the rearportion of the sheet is pulled up the plate 11, and as this occurs theair stream continues to hold the tail of the sheet out straight.

In the example illustrated the plate 11 is about ten feet wide andthirty inches in height and there are disposed across its upper endthirty air louvres 12 each three inches long with one inch spacesbetween the louvres. The airdirecting surface of each louvre is spacedout a quarter of an inch from the surface of the plate 11. But whilethese dimensions give a satisfactory result they are in no way criticaland may be varied widely to suit particular applications of theinvention.

It is possible to employ staggered louvres instead of the singlehorizontal row shown. And various combinations of horizontallyandvertically-spaced louvres are also efiective. As an alternative tolouvres, the air may be discharged over the plate through shortdownwardlydirected nozzles or pipes which gives great directionalcontrol over the air flow.

The single fan 14 can if desired, be replaced by two or more fans togive more even distribution of air flow across the width of the plate.And as already mentioned the plate 11 could be in some plane other thanvertical. While the plate shown in the drawings has a fairly longvertical dimension and this is preferred, it is not vital to have a longplate. Quite good results are obtainable with a compartively shortplate.

It will be understood that during the feeding of the sheet to theironing machine it can be turned end for end to make the portion thatpreviously trailed into the leading portion, and vice versa. Then byproviding two straightening devices according to the invention in seriesit is possible to straighten both edges of the sheet, as described inour patent application No. 331,695, filed Dec. 19, 1963.

I claim:

1. A laundry fiatwork straightening device, comprising a flat platehaving a plain surface and means subjecting the trailing portion of eachsheet, or like fiatwork piece, to the action of an unconfined stream ofair while said trailing portion is travelling past said plain surface,the air stream being strong enough to create a turbulent condition ofthe material of said trailing portion and being generally in a directionopposite to the direction of travel of the sheet at the time.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the air stream is directedsubstantially parallel to the plain surface between said surface and thesheet.

3. A laundry sheet straightening device, comprising avertically-disposed fiat plate up past which the trailing portion ofeach sheet travels, ducting leading to the top of the plate, and ablower fan system for delivering air to said ducting from which at thetop of the plate it is discharged downwardly substantially parallel tothe plate surface between said plate and said sheet trailing portion,

the air stream thereby travelling in a direction opposite to thedirection of travel of the sheet and being strong enough to create aturbulent condition of the material of said sheet trailing portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,635,370 4/1953Mann et al. 38-143 2,654,969 10/1953 Woodward 38143 3,103,755 9/1963Hajos 38-143 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

1. A LAUNDRY FLATWORK STRAIGHTENING DEVICE, COMPRISING A FLAT PLATEHAVING A PLAIN SURFACE AND MEANS SUBJECTING THE TRAILING PORTION OF EACHSHEET, OR LIKE FLATWORK PIECE, TO THE ACTION OF AN UNCONFINED STREAM OFAIR WHILE SAID TRAILING PORTION IS TRAVELLING PAST SAID PLAIN SURFACE,THE AIR STREAM BEING STRONG ENOUGH TO CREATE A TURBULENT CONDITION OFTHE MATERIAL OF SAID TRAILING PORTION AND BEING GENERALLY IN A DIRECTIONOPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE SHEET AT THE TIME.